IRCTC corruption case: CBI asks Lalu, Tejashwi to appear for quizzing

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday asked RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and his son Tejashwi Yadav to appear before the agency on 5 and 6 October respectively over alleged irregularities in issuing contracts for two IRCTC hotels in 2006 to a private company.

“CBI has now asked Lalu Yadav to appear for questioning on 5 October and Tejashwi on 6 October in alleged corruption case… The RJD leaders seek more time to appear,” said CBI sources.

The RJD chief and his son have earlier too skipped appearing before the CBI after being summoned by the premier investigative agency.

While Lalu was to be quizzed on 25 September, Tejashwi was asked to appear on 26 September. However, the duo sent their lawyers with a letter to the CBI seeking two weeks time to appear before the agency. It was the second time that the father-son duo skipped the quizzing.

Earlier, the CBI summoned the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief and his son, the former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, on 7 September to report at its headquarters in Lodhi Road area of south Delhi for questioning on 11 and 12 September.

The CBI had on July 5 filed a corruption case against Lalu Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi and Tejashwi for alleged irregularities when Lalu Prasad was the Railway Minister from 2004 to 2009.

The contracts for two Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) hotels at Ranchi and Puri were handed over to Sujata Hotels company owned by Vijay and Vinay Kochhar in lieu of an alleged bribe in the form of a plot of prime land in Bihar, the CBI said.

According to the CBI, Lalu Prasad allegedly granted illegal favours to Sujata Hotels.